Clayton McMillan says he has no intention of stepping down as Munster head coach as the fallout from the Roger Randle saga rolls on, although he has hinted his future at the province could still be in doubt.
Last week, the province confirmed they would no longer be proceeding with the appointment of Randle as their new attack coach, after backlash both from supporters and within Munster Rugby.
Randle had been due to replace Mike Prendergast as attack coach on a two-year contract, a decision which caused some controversy due to previous allegations of rape against the New Zealander.
In 1997, Randle was accused of raping a woman while in Durban, South Africa with his former club Hurricanes.
The New Zealander was initially charged with rape, but the case did not proceed as the complainant dropped the charges. Randle has always denied the allegation against him.
McMillan, who previously worked with Randle at the Chiefs, pleaded with supporters to trust his judgement after the appointment, but the process of his recruitment has led to resignations within Munster Rugby.
Three former players – Billy Holland, Killian Keane and Mick O'Driscoll - stepped down from their roles on the province’s Professional Games Board, while members of Munster’s Commercial Advisory Group have also reportedly resigned from their voluntary positions.
In a statement last Thursday, Munster confirmed they had "mutually agreed" to cancel the deal with Randle (above), who added that he was "deeply saddened" not to be taking up the job.
Speaking yesterday, McMillan admitted the controversy around the appointment was too much to ignore.
"At the end of the day, we had to collectively ask ourselves around his ability to actually come and do the job that we're asking them to do, given the backlash and the circumstances," the head coach said.
"And ultimately, we come to the conclusion that that wasn't the case.
"I fully understand that people will have an opinion and in a lot of instances, they've voiced that opinion. And to me, I think the majority of those people just actually care about the club.
"But all I can do is continue to look in the mirror and ask myself, are the decisions that I'm making in the best interests of the team? And when we appointed Roger, I honestly believed he was the person who could come here and add value to our environment to help us get better."
Given how vociferously the New Zealander vouched for Randle, the saga has raised doubts around McMillan’s own future at Munster.
The New Zealander (above), who is under contract at the province until 2028, was asked if he would be considering his own position, and while he reiterated his commitment to Munster, it came with the honest admission that the decision may not be in his hands.
"I'm fully committed to the team until the end of the season. There's no doubt about that. Other people might make a decision around whether I'm here next year or the year after," he added.
"And if that's what people decide, if I'm not the best person to lead this team forward, that will be their decision.
"But I don't walk away from a fight easily and there are plenty of people in this building who I believe want me to stay here and believe in the direction that we are heading. And to walk away would feel like I'm letting them down.
"I imagine that there's a lot of people that are doing a fair bit of reflection around this.
Munster boss Clayton McMillan says he 'honestly believed [Roger Randle] was the person who could come here and add value to our environment and help us get better' #RTERugby #RTESport pic.twitter.com/EXmbHBvlHD
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) May 7, 2026
"Very early on, I communicated to the Irish Rugby Union, our board and our players that if I'm not the right person to lead this team forward, then people can make that decision and I'll accept it. You'll need to speak to those people around how they feel about it.
"But I feel a huge sense of loyalty to our players who are looking to me in precious situations to understand what my position is, and I have their back the same way that they have my back.
"Now, I think there's still a bit of water to run under the bridge and there are things that people are going to reflect on and I encourage that, because there are changes that I think that need to be made to give me the confidence that I have the support to be able to do the job that's needed."
McMillan was speaking ahead of Saturday’s crucial BKT United Rugby Championship meeting with Connacht, where a third straight win for Munster would guarantee them a play-off spot, with one game to spare.
Jack Crowley (above) misses out with a leg injury, although he could be available for the final regular-season meeting with the Lions next week, but Tadhg Beirne is a doubt for the rest of the season, with the head coach adding he will "definitely" be out for the next two or three weeks at least.
Additionally, second row Jean Kleyn, props Michael Milne and Oli Jager, centre Tom Farrell and wing Calvin Nash are on the bloated injury list.
Previously this season, the province have struggled without their frontline internationals, a suggestion McMillan admitted was a "fair comment".
But the former All Blacks XV coach says now is the time for the wider squad to prove a point in arguably their biggest game of the season.
"First of all, there's no doubt that we're a better team when we've got our best players available. I believe that we can compete with anyone in Europe when we've got them all fit and available.
"We haven't always managed to achieve that, but every team gets injuries and every team gets put in the situation from time to time.
"There's no better occasion to find out what people are actually made of and [find out] whether you've actually risen the floor when you get a whole heap of injuries and others get an opportunity to stand up in a game that has a lot of jeopardy associated to it.
"We're comfortable that the guys that are playing have got enough runs on the board to be able to equip themselves really well," he added.
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